After
by The Pink Tonberry
Summary: Collab fic between Kaiya Beck and me. It's the Age of Exploration, but Alexandria is suffering from the loss of their king. Their prince, Cederik Marcus Til Alexandros inadvertently wakes an old evil. What will he and his friends do? 2nd Gen. characters!
1. A Fine Mess...

The following is a Final Fantasy 9 fanfiction by Kaiya Beck and The Pink Tonberry. Yay for legal stuff! Some of the characters in this fanficiton belong to Square Soft. Marco, Kavi, Hope, Jade, and other incidental support characters belong to the respective authors of this fanficiton. Please do not distribute this document without my express permission. 

The Pink Tonberry

mercybrand@hotmail.com

**  
After 'Happily Ever After'  
A Fine Mess **

"Try it again, Kavi," the young prince implored. As he stepped back toward his friends, he watched the little female black mage bow her head in concentration. His teeth chattered while he glanced sidelong at his friend Jade, who huddled on the icy ledge nursing a twisted ankle. _He'll be alright_, the prince thought to himself. _Jade's fallen off rooftops before. Aa little slide down an ice slope won't keep him down._ Or, at least he hoped it wouldn't.

For the fourth time, Kavi, the black mage, unleashed a fire spell on the sheer wall of ice. She hoped to melt it enough to make it scalable, or at least bring down a piece of the wall so Prince Marco could jump onto the path above. Sadly, it proved to be of no use. The fire spell did indeed melt some of the ice and vaporize the snow, but nothing fell and only a sheer, unclimbable wall remained. Drooping defeatedly, Kavi turned to offer her companions a shrug in apology. 

"You tried, Kavi," the prince offered in sympathy. Before he had a moment to consider another method of escape, the young woman behind him pushed him aside and bore down on the little mage.

"And you're absolutely sure you don't know an ice spell, a water spell, or-anything useful?" she asked, waving her hands in the air. Kavi could tell Alexia was upset. The young knight's cheeks, already pink from the cold, were flushed with anger and the utter frustration of being helpless. Alexia, the daughter of two of Alexandria's most prominent knights, seemed to believe there was no situation that she couldn't get out of with her sword and some cunning tactics. _Well_, Kavi thought, _you've met a problem fighting won't solve._

Pausing a moment to straighten her hat, Kavi replied in a small voice, "You know I have problems with other elemental spells. We we don't have enough room in case something, you know, misfires."

Stretching his uninjured leg, Jade remarked in a bland voice, "You remember the ballroom floor incident, don't you?"

Alexia turned on the young rogue with a frown. Of course she remembered that incident -- despite how much she wanted to forget it. At the request of several other guests, Kavi attempted a simple ice spell to form delicate icicles from the ballroom's chandelier. Unfortunately, as any of her other elemental spells but fire tended to do, the spell misfired and coated the ballroom floor in a thin, slick layer of ice. Guests hit the floor right and left. Even guards who had run in to investigate the commotion fell to the floor and slid to a stop against the other fallen guests. Kavi was mortified, but Alexia suffered the worse embarrassment. She had taken only one step to assist an ambassador to her feet. Suddenly, her own feet left the ground, came level with her head, and then everything slammed into the banquet table jarringly. The entire banquet table slid, crashing against the wall in a horrific, disastrous clatter. Some attendees laughed, others whooped as they fell to the ground too, still others ran to help Alexia to her feet from under the mess of fallen dishes and decorations. It had been utterly embarrassing.

Shuddering, Alexia turned away and pretended to shiver. Of the four, only she and Kavi were wearing attire marginally suitable for being in the Ice Cave._ If Prince Marco had kept his royal robes, rather than shedding them as soon as he was a safe distance from the castle, he wouldn't be freezing his tail off right now._ While Alexia paced on the small ledge and mulled over her thoughts, the other three began to calculate how long they'd been stuck down in the pit. "You're sure that moogle could be trusted to deliver the missive to your cousin, Prince Marco?"

"Yeah, well, MogNet hasn't let me down yet." Even to him, his answer seemed uncertain. "And what's with this 'Prince' business? You only call me that when you're mad. Don't be mad at me, Alexia. I'm not the one who was yelling and caused the cave-in."

"Yeah, Lex. Thanks a lot," Jade grumbled while indicating his bruised leg.

Kavi seemed to be the only sympathetic face of the group, but with a black mage, how could you tell? Again, Alexia frowned and went back to her pacing. She wouldn't have to yell at the Prince if he'd just listen to her. What would the Queen say about him being in this dangerous place? Being stuck together as they were simply proved her point. Balling up her frustration into a metal-clad fist, Alexia drove a punch into the solid wall of ice to vent. The impact stung, but it felt good to relieve some of that negativity. As she pulled her hand away, she noticed a dark silhouette about half a foot into the ice.

"Hey, what's that? Do you guys see this?" She indicated the dark, obscure shape. Kavi waddled forward, careful not to slip on the ice. Intently, she peered through the translucent wall.

"I think I do see something. Stand back, I'll try and melt it out." Alexia complied quickly and Kavi raised her arms and then thrust them forward. "FIRE!"

When the steam dissipated, Kavi exclaimed excitedly, "It's a chest! Oh! I wonder what's inside!"

Striding forward, Alexia drew her sword to pry the metal-braced chest from the ice wall. She had to chip at the wall a couple of times before finding a corner for leverage against the chest. With all her might, she pulled back on her sword and the chest jumped free. Kavi pounced on it to keep it from sliding off the ledge. Then, she sat back to examine it. "Well, I don't see a lock. Oh! It's open."

Marco and Alexia crowded close to see what was inside. From his resting spot against the wall, Jade craned his head to get a peek as well. "What is it?" he called out anxiously.

"It's just a potion," Alexia sighed.

"Well, if nothing else, we can heal Jade's ankle now. Hand it to me, would you Kavi? Thanks." After the black mage handed the vial over, Marco carried it to Jade. "Is this the kind you drink or rub on?" the prince asked, sniffing the uncorked bottle.

Alexia rolled her eyes and strode across the ledge. "If you paid more attention to your alchemy lessons, Prince _Cedric Marcus til Alexandros_, you would know, wouldn't you?"

"_Mrowr!_" Jade countered with a grin. "I'm the one who got hurt, Lex. I don't see why you're being so catty."

With a rough tug, Alexia pulled Jade's injured leg straight, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from the young man. "This might sting a bit," she hissed, shooting Jade a less-than-sincere smile.

Making a makeshift chair out of the empty chest, Marcos dropped into a seated position across from Kavi. Both of them sat with their chins in their hands, looking thoughtful. Marcos would certainly forgive Alexia for her bad mood. He was certainly used to her moody outbursts by now. It wasn't doing anything for anyone else's spirits, though. Was there a diplomatic way he could tell her to shove it? No, at least not in a way that would help their situation, anyway. Everyone had to deal with being trapped however they could. It was only a matter of time before they were rescued. he hoped.

* * *

Heavy humidity clung to his arms like a second skin. A frown touched his light pink lips and for a moment he considered rolling his sleeves down again, but the late summer heat was just too oppressive. At least on chocobo-back he got a bit of a breeze. The wind was absent from the Gunitas Basin today, leaving the hot, sticky air to stagnate.

Hope had more favorable places in mind in which to spend his time, but he'd received an urgent message through MogNet from his cousin. His younger cousin, Prince Marco of Alexandria, had requested that he come quickly and discreetly. Of course, Hope had no chance of obfuscating the truth from his mother. She was a powerful genome with the rare ability to read other genome's minds. Hope had inherited these powers to an extent, but certainly not enough to hide his intentions. His mother, Mikoto, had met him at the door of their hut in the Black Mage Village with his father's traveling hat in hand. She had placed it on his head and wished him a safe return.

Tilting his pointed red mage hat, Hope scanned the cliffs that lined the basin. His light blue eyes searched for any sign of the cave entrance that the message indicated. Urging his golden chocobo forward, he spotted the mouth of the Ice Cavern just off to the right. "Faster, Bobby Corwen," he leaned forward, spurring the swift bird on. "We've dallied too long already."

Hope wheeled the chocobo about and swung down before the bird had stopped moving. Holding his hat in place, he sprinted for the cavern entrance and allowed his eyes a moment to adjust. He could sense his cousin inside, but a sudden feeling of danger warned him to proceed carefully. 

Inside, the cavern glittered fascinatingly, with flower-like blooms of ice on the floor and enormous icicle stalactites forming curtains of ice across the ceiling. Hope rolled his sleeves down, glad that he'd decided to wear his heavy traveling robe and hakama rather than changing into something lighter. Summer on this continent, he knew from experience, could be downright miserable.

The fair young man hadn't walked five steps before he heard voices. Although the words were indistinct, he recognized the voices echoing off the cavern walls. Foucsing his mind upon his cousin, he followed the path until the voices came from directly below. One branch of the path must have fallen away, he surmised. Otherwise, everything else in the cavern looked undisturbed.

Peering over the ledge, he saw three figures below. One of them, Prince Marco, could easily pass as a younger brother. His cousin, like him, had genome blood granting him fair hair, skin, and, of course, a long, dexterous tail. Unlike Hope, Marco wasn't a full-blooded genome, though. He was the child of Hope's uncle Zidane and the Gaian Queen Garnet til Alexandros the 17th.

One of the other figures turned out to be the daughter of the Queen's personal guard. Young Lady Alexia Steiner had just been granted her title as a knight of Alexandria a few months ago. According to Marco's letters, the title had gone straight to her head. Alexia had taken to bullying and criticizing Marcos even more than she had when they were both children. Hope wondered idly how long his cousin's patience with the fiery knight would hold out. If nothing else, Marco was long-suffering. Then again, when it came to Alexia's overbearing attitude, there was a good deal of suffering to be had. _Maybe it is just puberty_, Hope mused with a smile.

The last figure Hope knew only by reputation. Marco spoke highly of Jade, the son of an actress and one of his late uncle's friends. Jade used to follow Marco everywhere any chance he had. Apparently, that much hadn't changed. Recently, Jade had been hired as a delivery boy in the city of Alexandria. In recent letters, Marco openly resented Jade's job because it kept him away for days at a time. From what Hope could gather, life in the castle was rather lonely for the young prince, despite having the constant companionship of his personal guard Alexia and several servants. Life in the castle was much different from the cozy, close-knit society of the Black Mage Village.

"Hello, down there," Hope called.

Everyone jumped to attention and glanced up to see Hope smiling down at them. "Hope!" "It's about time." "Yay!"

Just then, from Hope's perspective, a wide-brimmed black mage hat shuffled into view. With the ribbons and two small bells hanging from the tip, Hope had no doubt who the black mage was. "Kavi??! What are you doing here?"

Two, shining yellow eyes peered up heavy with guilt. "H-hello, Hope," Kavi called meekly from behind her gloved hands.

As one of only two female black mages in the entire world, Kavi was protected carefully by every member of the Black Mage Village. She was literally key to the future of their race. How she escaped the watchful eyes of her guardians was beyond Hope._ Maybe I should keep an eye on her from now on_. "Kavi," he said sternly, "Mr. 288 would be beside himself seeing you in a place like this. Do you know how much everyone worries for you? You simply can't go adventuring like this. It's irresponsible."

Alexia bumped Marco in the side with her armored elbow. "That sounds familiar, doesn't it?" she said just under her breath. Marco dipped his head sheepishly.

The female black mage nudged the snow into a little pile with her toe. Any retort that came to mind was weak, so she didn't bother. As usual, Hope was right. She was lucky she hadn't been injured at all. As it was, Jade was kind enough to break her fall, even if it meant twisting his leg. She mumbled an apology and crowded behind Marco for defense.

Hope's expression softened and he shook his head sadly. "We will talk about this later. Right now, you all need help out of there. Stand back, please." As everyone crowded onto one corner of the ledge, Hope drew out a palm-sized opal from the pouch at his side. Humming in his concentration, he drew an arcane symbol in the air and then unleashed the spell with a whispered, "Blizzara."

Ice shot down into the ledge from above. Large spear-like crystals seemed to sprout from the floor, pointing out from the center of where the spell originally touched down. The sound of the ice forming was like the cracking of a hundred eggshells. After they formed, the spears of ice resonated like delicate chimes.

Everyone gazed at the spell's effects in wonder. Kavi watched with a touch of jealousy. Aside from the eldest black mages, Hope had the most powerful black magic in the village. Kavi wanted to approach him for lessons, but the genome always seemed so busy studying and tending his dwarf trees -- that is, when he wasn't traveling. Kavi envied that more than Hope's power. She wanted his freedom to travel and study in foreign cities. It had taken her a good deal of bargaining just to visit Prince Marco in Alexandria again. She was supposed to be accompanied by one of the villagers at all times, but like Marco, she slipped away from the watchful eyes of her guardians for an adventure, and, predictably, she almost died for that little bit of adventure. 

While Hope watched, Marco scaled the stalagmites nimbly. Jade followed close behind the prince. Though his ankle was still somewhat tender, Jade had little trouble climbing and then hopping onto the ledge beside Marco and Hope. "Thanks man."

Hope inclined his head. "Please don't mention it. You're Jade, right? My name is Hope Terra. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Jade smiled as he stepped forward to take Hope's hand.

From below, Alexia cleared her throat loudly. Marco smiled, as did Hope, sharing one of their private jokes. "I have a rope on Bobby Corwen's saddlepack. Wait here and I will retrieve it."

"You brought Bobby Corwen?" Marco followed his cousin with an eager step. "It's been so long since I've seen her! How's Boco doing? Have the eggs hatched yet?" The questions trailed off after the two exited. When they returned, both cousins were laughing and Hope unwound the long, magically reinforced rope.

"As you can probably guess, everyone has been tending those eggs very carefully. I think they're going to hatch soon. You can hear the chicks from within making little 'peeps'." Hope handed one end of the rope to Marco, held a section of it himself, and then tossed the loose end to the girls below. "Can you both climb? Kavi, if you need help, I can cast a Float spell."

The little black mage swung her arms as she considered it. She'd never tried climbing a rope before. She wasn't entirely sure how strong she was, but it could be worth a try. "Let me try first," she called up. "Alexia, will you catch me if I fall?"

With a curt nod, Alexia stepped forward to spot the black mage. "You have my word. Twist the rope along one leg and you can use it to anchor you as you climb." Tentatively, Kavi followed the older girl's advice. Though her progress was slow, Kavi made it halfway up the rope before she had to rest her arms. A breeze tore along the wall, causing her to swing. Kavi whimpered and clung tight to the rope. Just before the wind threatened to blow her hat off her head, it eased. Everyone held their breath as Kavi shook in fright, suspended about a dozen feet in the air.

Forcing down a swallow, Kavi called out, "I-I'm okay. I don't think I can climb anymore, though. My arms feel like they're going to give out!"

"Marco, Hope! Can you support both of us up there?" Alexia had a plan in mind, but she wanted to clear it with the guys above.

"How are you doing, Marco?" Hope asked over his shoulder.

Marco dug his heels in and tested his grip. "Kavi's pretty light, but Alexia's in armor. I know for a fact she's heavier than I am."

"I heard that!"

"Don't yell!" Marco called back down. "Remember what happened last time?"

"Maybe I should just cast the spell," Hope murmured.

"Hey, if you need another hand, I'm pretty strong for my size," Jade offered.

Marco nodded. "With the three of us, we should be fine. What do you think, Hope?" 

His cousin nodded once. "Make it so. Jade, grab the rope between Marco and me. Do your best not to slip."

Together, they held the rope as Alexia pulled herself up to where Kavi held on for dear life. She urged Kavi onto her back by hanging directly under her. When she was certain Kavi had a firm hold, she began climbing again. Alexia was thankful for the strength training on which her mother insisted. Kavi wasn't terribly heavy, but pulling both the mage and herself up the rope proved to be a challenge. Finally, they reached the lip of the path and the men hauled them up the rest of the way. Alexia rested on her knees while Kavi lay sprawled beside her, panting out of exhaustion and nerves.

Marco wound the rope as Jade and Hope stepped forward to tend the girls. "Hey, you two alright?" Jade asked as he offered a hand to help Alexia to her feet. The young knight brushed his hand away and stayed on her knees. Jade pursed his lips and tucked both hands deep into his pockets.

Hope helped Kavi into a sitting position and dusted the snow from her pink robes. "You did well for a first try," Hope said in a soothing voice. Kavi stared at him with hopeful eyes.

"Really? You think so?" It was the first time she ever remembered Hope praising her. The fear and fatigue was quickly forgotten in a self-conscious little giggle. "I have to admit, I was a _little_ scared." Hope smiled kindly and pushed Kavi's hat askew playfully. As she straightened her hat, the genome stood and walked over to Alexia.

"That was very brave, Alexia. You do your title proud." Alexia's reaction was almost the same at Kavi's. When Hope offered her a hand to help her feet, she accepted eagerly.

With a bow, she paid Hope her thanks. "It was my duty, Hope." The adoration in her voice when she spoke Hope's name struck Jade directly in the heart and sent him sulking over to Marco's side.

The prince glanced up, regarding his best friend with concern. "Are you okay, Jade?"

"Yeah. Just I'm cold, that's all. So, is that it?" He asked, quickly changing the subject from his own well-being. "Are we heading out now?"

"Well, I _would_ like to see what else is in the cave. I wonder if there are any more chests. I've heard there's a sword in a chest hidden here somewhere. Wouldn't that be great to take home as a souvenir?"

"I dunno. I think I have enough to take home with the memory of three friends and a half ton of ice falling on me," Jade grumbled.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Marco chuckled, prodding Jade in the side. "How about you, Kavi?"

Climbing to her feet, Kavi patted the snow off her bloomers. "I would like to explore, too. If that's okay?" She turned to Hope, deferring to his opinion.

The older genome considered the situation for a moment. "It is dangerous for you here, Kavi, but if I stay with you, you should be fine. What is your opinion, Alexia?"

The young knight shook off a doe-eyed stare and said brightly. "Yes, definitely. Whatever you want to do, Hope."

Jade pulled his headband down over his eyes and brooded behind Marco.

"Well, that's four to one. I guess we'll keep exploring. C'mon Jade. This was your idea in the first place, remember?" If Marco knew the reason for his friend's sudden turn of mood, he played it off very well.

"Next time I suggest going out onto an adventure," Jade whispered to Marco, "Just kick me, okay?" With that, the moody rogue led them deeper into the cavern.

The next few chests they encountered just off the main path held nothing. A couple looked as if they'd been burned. Jade temporarily forgot his grumpiness as he kept an eye out for anymore chests. Marco paused from time to time to peer at the ledges below the main path. Little else but suspicious lumps of snow seemed to remain, however. It seemed as if the cavern had been picked clean by previous adventurers.

Disappointed, Marco's tail etched a meandering line on the cavern floor as it dragged along. Jade stopped in a high-ceilinged room with a zig-zagging path carved into the wall. The path led to an exit high above. With a sigh, Jade turned back to Marco. "I think that's it. Up there is the exit to the steppes. I can't believe this place has been ransacked already!"

The rest of the group filtered into the room, peering at the spectacular ice formations along the wall. It looked as if a waterfall had been stopped mid-flow. Small, shining droplets hung frozen in time from long, dagger-like icicles.

"What a disappointment." Marco slumped. "I'm going to be in so much trouble just for nothing!" He noticed his cousin at his side and considered his enigmatic smile. "Why are you smiling, Hope?"

The older genome glanced upward. "You. Why are you trying so hard to be like your father, Marco?"

"Huh?"

"That's what you were thinking." Hope leaned toward Marco and tapped his forehead. "'I'll never be like my dad.'"

There was no use denying it. Hope understood him entirely too well. He always had! So, here it came, the speech about 'being himself'. Marco was so tired of hearing that line. He didn't want to be himself. He was bored with being a prince- - of always having to be on his best behavior. He didn't want to study to be king. He was afraid his time to take the throne was coming too quickly. His mother's health and mental state had been dwindling since his father died nine years ago. His beautiful, gentle mother was only a ghost of her former self. If his father was such a great man, why shouldn't Marco strive to be like him? And this this, according to all of the stories Sir Steiner and Lady Beatrix, Lady Freya, Great-Uncle Cid, Uncle Marcus, Baku, the servants, _everyone_, this is what his father Zidane was all about! Marco wanted to be that for himself and all of Alexandria.

"Marco, you can't be who you're not. You'll put too much stress on yourself trying." Hope rested a hand on his back. "Just remember that you're your mother and your father's child. If-"

Hope was cut off as Kavi jumped back with a gasp. "There's something in there!" The black mage pointed up at a dark mass suspended in the ice.

"What is it? Is it a chest?" Jade asked while running over.

Alexia strode to Kavi's side. Slowly, Hope and Marco drifted over to join them as well. Kavi pressed her hands against the ice and studied the shape carefully. "Not a chest, no. I think it's-"

"It's a black mage," finished Hope.  


  
  


* * *

  
**Author's Note**: *tosses the fanfic to Kaiya* Catch! Let's see what you can do with a Black Mage on ice, baby! Bwah ha haa!


	2. On the rocks...

The following is a Final Fantasy 9 fanfiction by Kaiya Beck and The Pink Tonberry. Yay for legal stuff! Some of the characters in this fanficiton belong to Square Soft. Marco, Kavi, Hope, Jade, and other incidental support characters belong to the respective authors of this fanficiton. Please do not distribute this document without my express permission. 

The Pink Tonberry

mercybrand@hotmail.com

**  
After 'Happily Ever After'  
Chapter 2** (by Kaiya Beck)  
  
It was cold. _Bitterly_ cold. Cold as death. He wouldn't have known what death felt like, but that was what bards were talking about all of the time. "Cold as death." For a moment, he wondered if he _was_ dead, and if this was Hell-or at least the darkest, coldest part of Hell. He'd always thought that Hell would be an inferno, not an ice palace. A small cold lump in his hand brought him to attention, and although his eyelids were heavy and he couldn't see the object in his hand, he closed his fingers around it. Moving _hurt_. He almost cried out at the pins and needles that pricked at his fingers, but his voice failed him. That scared him. Had he suddenly lost his voice for one reason or another? And why in Hades couldn't he _move_? His ears caught the sound of muffled voices, but most of the words were indistinguishable.   
  
"What's black mage here?"  
  
"I but help out"  
  
"Are sure? It attack" He almost screamed in frustration. Wouldn't they stop their mindless blathering and help him? As his ears strained to pick up their conversation, their voices grew louder and clearer.   
  
"Well, are we going to do something or are we just gonna stand here with our thumbs up our butts?" A laugh. "Judging by the look on Lex's face, thumbs up our butts sounds good."  
  
"Come on, guys!" A younger voice. "I wanna know what this black mage is doing here? Hope, can you cast a fire spell and melt this ice? Not a big one; I want to keep him alive-if he is alive."  
  
"Very well. Fire." Now the coldness gave way to warmth, and the warmth to him was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Within a few minutes, he was able to move his hands. He opened his eyes and stared at his saviors. They were all children, at least in his eyes. A young boy in a red mage outfit was casting a spell-a fire spell-on the ice. A girl with long brown hair stood beside him, gripping the hilt of the sword at her side. Behind the other blond boy was a little black mage, clad all in a light red and wearing a dress. _A dress?!_ He wondered. _Could that be a_ girl _black mage?!_ His gaze returned to the boy who was casting the spell. He wondered what kind of ulterior motive the boy had by rescuing him. He certainly wasn't doing this to be nice or was he? "Hurry, Hope!" the little black mage cried. The boy-Hope-turned around. "I am _trying_, Kavi. Be patient." At that moment, the figure in the ice saw Hope's tail, lashing in faint irritation. The figure saw, and remembered. One name flashed into his mind that was enough to send him into a blind rage.  
  
_Zidane._  
  
Marco suddenly made an involuntary move forward as he saw the mage's eyes glow red. From the light of Hope's fire, he could see two distorted shapes behind the mage, which looked like wings. Marco may not have paid attention to any of his alchemy lessons, but he was attentive to his mother's tales of her and Zidane's adventures when she had only been Princess Garnet. Marco knew what this creature was. Now Hope was curing it. "He might have hypothermia," he explained. "I'm getting rid of any complications he might-"   
  
"Hope, STOP!" he screamed. Hope looked back at him quizzically. "Why? He's almost free. I can see him moving around in there."   
  
"You've got it all wrong!" Marco cried emphatically. "That thing we're rescuing see the wings?! That's not a black mage! It's a Black-"  
  
A sudden explosion of what seemed like splintering glass drowned out whatever Marco was going to say next. A shard of ice sliced Jade across the cheek, but he paid no attention to it. His eyes were fixed on the creature before them. It fell to its knees for only a brief moment, then shakily got to its feet. As the children watched in horror, it flapped its wings in an agitated way before rising into the air, ringing a silver bell. Alexia could see its shoulders shaking in silent laughter-laughter of its freedom. Black Waltz Number One had returned.   
  
  


* * *

  
**Tonberry's Note**: Anything that helps Kaiya out of her writer's block works for me. How do you guys like it so far?


	3. No endings... only new beginnings

The following is a Final Fantasy 9 fanfiction by Kaiya Beck and The Pink Tonberry. Yay for legal stuff! Some of the characters in this fanficiton belong to Square Soft. Marco, Kavi, Hope, Jade, and other incidental support characters belong to the respective authors of this fanficiton. Please do not distribute this document without my express permission. 

The Pink Tonberry

mercybrand@hotmail.com

**  
After 'Happily Ever After'  
Chapter 3** (by The Pink Tonberry)  


  
Above them the menace loomed. Malicious glee burned in the narrow, glowing slits that were his eyes. A physical attack was implausible since their enemy hovered above them, so Hope stepped close to Kavi and readied a protection spell. Alexia had drawn her sword, but seemed uncertain how to attack this fearsome creature. She kept sneaking sidelong glances at Marco as if waiting on some cue from him. Marco only stood gaping at the creature. According to his mother's stories, these Black Waltzes had been Kuja's elite force. How could they hope to defeat one? Worse, how could they defend themselves?

Jade stepped forward boldly. Though his knees were shaking, he raised a gloved fist at the Black Waltz and yelled, "Get outta here! Go on! You're free, so just leave us alone!"

"Who are you to talk to me like that, _boy_?" Sneering, Black Waltz 1 raised his bell and cast the first spell that came to mind. Kavi screamed as fire burst within the group. Fortunately, a _shell_ spell around her and Hope protected them from the fire's destructive force. Marco and Jade were thrown to their feet, both slightly singed. 

Immediately, Hope counterattacked with his own magic. A lightning spell caught the Black Waltz in the side, spinning him in the air. The Waltz lost altitude immediately, and his weak wings could do little against the momentum of his own fall. With a grunt, Black Waltz 1 landed roughly near where he burst out of the ice.

Alexia leapt into action immediately. Now that she and her enemy were on equal footing, she could strike with her deadly sword. As she charged, she raised her weapon with every intent to bury it in the monstrosity's back. However, she'd underestimated the Black Waltz's speed and resilience. One raised a hand and deflected Alexia's blow. "Ah ah ah, little girl," came a throaty growl. He lurched to his feet and glared at the young knight. Though her face showed determination, her uncertainty was evident in her stance. The Black Waltz advanced on her with clenching hands as if intending to strangle the young woman.

From behind Hope, Kavi employed a trick she'd heard her father Vivi had used on Captain Steiner's sword. A fire spell danced on the edge of Alexia's blade, much to the knight's surprise. Kavi yelled, "Hit him now, Alexia!" The young knight struck without thought.

This time, the Black Waltz was hit with a combination of Alexia's sword technique and the fire spell. He fell back with a deep but cauterized wound on his upper arm. "I'll remember this," the Black Waltz hissed as he recoiled. Still weak from being entombed in ice, he took wing. His retreat was clumsy at best, but before another one of the strange children could attack him, he made it to the top of the zigzagging trail. He only paused to catch his breath before running out onto the steppes.

Alexia was half-way up the trail that led to the exit before Marco called her back. "Alexia! He's gone. Let him go." The young prince helped Jade to his feet and dusted the soot from the rogue's skin. "Is everyone okay?" Even to his own ears, his voice sounded weary.

"I'm well," Hope replied.

"Me too!" Kavi sounded surprised by the assessment. Without Hope's protection, she surely would've been destroyed. The Waltz's power was incredible and familiar in the very heart of her being. His will tugged at hers. It was as if she could feel him trying to pull her out into the open. It took every bit of sense she had to stay hidden behind Hope.

"I'm okay, thanks to Hope," Alexia stated with a toss of her hair.

"Muh muh muh, 'thanks to Hope,'" Jade mocked Alexia only loud enough for Marco to hear. His friend's expression was disapproving, but a sympathetic pat to the shoulder let Jade know that his feelings were understood.

Alexia strode over to check Marco's injuries. Aside from some sooty patches, Marco was fine. However, Jade was bleeding from a long, thin cut on his cheek. He felt the blood tickle down his jaw line and reached up to touch it. Upon seeing the blood on his fingertips, everything sunk in. They could've been killed! His openly frightened expression impressed on Marco the urgency of the situation.

"Norlich Heights is just beyond this cavern," Marco explained. "Hopefully, the Black Waltz will avoid Dali. I'm certain he's wounded enough that he won't want to fight anytime soon, so Dali should be safe. We will go there immediately and send word to Alexandria that one of the Black Waltzes still lives."

"Then what, Marco?" Kavi asked.

The young prince's tail lashed about as he tried to rub some tension out of his neck. "I don't know, Kavi. I'm sorry. We'll just stay in Dali until I figure something out."

"Perhaps the Queen will send an airship to see us home safely," Hope suggested.

Alexia was only too eager to agree with Hope. "Yeah! That's a good idea! That way we don't have to worry about getting attacked on the way back."

"No no no," Marco shook his head. "I don't want mother to know yet. She'd only worry. We'll send word to Lady Beatrix. Your mother will know what to do, Alexia. She always knows what to do in situations like this. It may take some time for the message to get to the castle via MogNet. Would you rather deliver the message, Hope?"

Placing a hand on Kavi's shoulder, Hope shook his head in return. "No. I must watch Kavi while she's away from the village. I could send Bobby Corwen if you'd like, but there's no guarantee that she'd be able to deliver the message to the correct person."

Jade felt like the proverbial third wheel. He let them discuss their plans while he cleaned the blood from his cheek. "I hope wherever we're going, there'll be a nice place to sit down for a little while and maybe catch a bite to eat. I haven't had anything since breakfast," Jade mumbled after a long silence.

Kavi joined Jade and offered him a white handkerchief for cleaning. He turned the offer away with a petty excuse of not wanting to get the cloth dirty. So Kavi tucked the unused square of fabric and studied Jade's wound. "Are you sure you're going to be okay, Jade? It was bleeding so much!"

Jade waved it away, trying to sound brave despite the sting. "Nah, it's not deep. I might get a scar. Heh, but that's nothin' compared to my dad's scars."

"I'm certain Dali will have some potions," Hope noted. "Let's go then. This is no place for us to be standing around and discussing all this."

With a nod to his cousin's suggestion, Marco led the party up the path that climbed the wall in a steep zigzag. Hope escorted the party from the rear to keep an eye on Kavi. Jade sulked behind Marco and behind Jade, Alexia fingered the hilt of her sword nervously. Pausing near the top of the trail, Marco peered at the entrance, searching for an ambush. He proceeded cautiously, tail twitching nervously.

Seeing no immediate threat, Marco led the group out into the late afternoon sunlight. They relaxed in the warmth of the sun. Surely, the Black Waltz wouldn't attack them on such open ground. Spotting Observatory Mountain in the distance, Marco speculated Dali was only a fifteen minute walk away. Suddenly, the air was cut by a blast of sound. Everyone drew their weapons and looked about. Banking in the sky was what looked somewhat like a miniature sail boat. As it neared the ground, the grass beneath it was flattened by a powerful wind. It settled, just above the ground, hovering magically while the sails were dropped and bound.

From out of the miniature airship stepped a tall young woman dressed in a tight, yellow leather trench-coat, a short red and yellow skirt, and aviators goggles. She pulled the goggles off her head and smoothed back her long, plum colored hair. Her prominent white horn sparkled in the sunlight as she waved to the group. 

"It's Princess Eiko!" cried Kavi ecstatically. Stumbling through the tall grass, she ran to the tall woman's side and met her with a hug.

The rest of the group joined at a more leisurely pace, though they were all glad to see Lindblum's fun-loving princess again. "Hey, kids." She greeted Kavi with a tight hug and then winked to the others. "What are you guys doing so far from home? Garnet would have kittens if she knew you were out here, Junior."

Junior was Eiko's private nickname for Marco. She always teased him about how much he reminded her of his late father. Marco wore that nickname with pride. However, the barely-masked flirting that came along with the pet name wasn't accepted nearly as gracefully. "Well, it's nothing she hasn't done," replied Marco with a weak smile. An excuse like that wouldn't work at home and it certainly didn't work out in the field with family.

Eiko parted with Kavi and hugged her younger cousin with a tender kiss to his cheek. She leaned back to brush his wild blond hair from his face and shook her head. "It would break her heart to hear that. But I know Garnet. She'd forgive you." Eiko's smile was gentle, despite her disapproving tone. "I heard you guys needed some help. You know, I swear your tail is a trouble magnet. Same went for your dad. Trouble followed him more often than love-struck girls." She tousled the young prince's hair and then stood to consider the others. "So, are you all okay?"

"Yeah," Marco mumbled as he combed through his hair to get it to lay in some semblance of order. "How did you know we were in trouble? For that matter, how did you know we were here?"

Placing both hands on the back of her head, Eiko laughed. "A lady's not supposed to tell her secrets!" She danced a circle and then admitted, "When you hang out with moogles, you tend to get news really quick."

When Eiko had turned that quick circle, the wind had tossed her skirt up over her front for a brief view of her moogle print panties. Jade's eyes went wide and he pressed a finger under his nose to stop a trickle of blood. Hope pulled his hat down over face, pretending not to see. Marco coughed and blushed profusely. Kavi seemed confused, but Alexia just glared at each young man in turn. None of them seemed up to responding, so she sighed and spoke in their stead. "So you've heard about the Black Waltz then, your highness?"

Suddenly perfectly serious, Eiko turned to Alexia. "What about a Black Waltz?"

Marco tried to step in to disarm the situation, but Alexia was too eager to explain. As she recounted the tale of what happened, Marco shot Jade a worried look. Would Eiko take the news directly back to Garnet? Or maybe she'd enlist her father's help? Either way, word would get back to his mother, and second-hand news about Marco putting his life in peril would wound his mother more deeply than hearing the words directly from the source. He held his tail in his hands, looking troubled and miserable until Alexia finished.

"Holy light," Eiko sighed. "Okay, kids. This really is trouble. Have you told anyone yet?"

"No, we were just on our way to Dali when you arrived," Marco responded after releasing his tail.

"Dali? Why go to that little dive?"

"Well, because," Marco was suddenly uncertain of his decision. Sensing this, Hope stepped forward and finished for him. 

"Because Jade's been injured-" "Twice," Jade interrupted. Hope paused for a moment. "Yes, twice. We were going to Dali in hopes of finding a healing potion there and a moogle through whom to send a message to Lady Beatrix."

"Oh, you poor dear." Eiko stepped over to Jade and kneeled before him. "My, my haven't you grown?" She cooed to him as if speaking to a baby chocobo. "Aw, but you have a bloody nose and a cut on your cheek. Anything else? Those are pretty minor injuries."

Jade resented the tone in which Eiko spoke to him, but the princess' attention made him blush. "Yeah, I know. It doesn't hurt. I'd sprained my ankle earlier, but we found a potion in the cave, and well, see." He hopped up and down on what was his injured leg. "I'm all better now." Then he felt monumentally embarrassed for hopping up and down like an idiot in front of Lindblum's most eligible bachelorette.

"Well, let me heal this cut on your cheek. You're too young to have a scar messing up your handsome face like that." Eiko's hands felt cool on his hot, flushed cheeks. The princess bent her head in prayer and Jade got a good view of her horn for once. It was so unusual to see someone with a horn growing out of the center of their forehead. From what Marco had told him, Queen Garnet once had a horn too, but the former Queen of Alexandria had it removed so she could adopt Garnet as a look-alike for her own lost daughter. Only people of the Summoner's tribe had horns like that. Jade had heard Marco mention at some point that Garnet and Eiko were the only two survivors of that powerful tribe.

The white horn began to glow with a silvery, holy light. Jade closed his eyes as the healing magic flowed over him like warm water. It felt so good. He could've melted in her hands. Jade became acutely aware of something stirring below. He choked and pulled away from the princess while trying to hide the arousal bulging in his baggy pants.

Eiko put her hands on her hips, ready to scold the young rogue for not letting her finish her healing spell. Then, she noticed where he cupped his hands oh-so-nervously. She couldn't help but laugh. Everyone else joined her and Jade glowered. Why did things like this always happen to him?

"Hee hee! No one's ever reacted to my white magic like that. Maybe I should use it more often! Oh, are you blushing Jade? You're so cute. C'mon, don't act so embarrassed. It happens to all guys." She pursued him in a walk as he tromped away through the high grass.

Jade called over his shoulder. "You just said no one's ever reacted like that!"

"Well, I mean to my white magic. Hey I'm sorry! Jade come back. I didn't mean to embarrass you!" She caught up with Jade and stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. She knelt down in front of him again and looked into his eyes. His own eyes were shadowed with annoyance, but Eiko's warm blue eyes melted that. She bent forward and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. "There. I'm sorry, see? No harm done. Pals?"

That one little smooch seemed too little like an apology and much more like a tease. Jade wanted more, but didn't dare ask for it from the beautiful woman. "Yeah," he tried to sound cranky, but it's hard to be mad at someone who's lips are so soft and who smells so beautiful, and _Ack! Snap out of it man! She's almost old enough to be your mom! _Which wasn't a truly accurate estimation. Eiko was only in her mid-twenties, despite acting like a troubled teen with too little free time. "Anyway" he coughed, trying to change the subject.

Eiko stood. "Oh yeah. So you were going to tell Beatrix, huh? Not a bad idea, but she's not going to be able to do much of anything without tipping off Garnet, you know? If you guys need some help, I can give some of you a ride in my airship back to Alexandria. Maybe you can work something out through the Knights of Pluto? They're just hair-brained enough that something like this might not get traced back to you."

Marco had to admire his fast-thinking cousin for her skill at deceit and misdirection. Hope looked thoughtful and rubbed his chin as she spoke. "There are two--," he looked to Kavi and corrected himself, "There will be three Black Mages in Alexandria if we go there. Together we can set up an enchantment to warn us against a Black Waltz's intrusion. We should have no problem detecting a Black Waltz--especially a Black Waltz as powerful as One." Kavi nodded, looking nervous. 

"Good idea, Hope. Handsome _and _smart. I like that in a guy." She winked. "My little airship can only carry three other people, though. The rest of you will have to wait in Dali, or-darn, I'm not sure. I don't want to leave Marco here- -or Alexia. Heehee, you either Jade. But we'll need Hope and Kavi"

The older genome raised his hand to interrupt Eiko's train of thought. "I rode Bobby Corwen here from the Village. I can call her and Kavi and I will fly back to Alexandria and meet you there."

Eiko nodded once. "Right! Meet us by the gate to the city then. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them that I'd invited you all on a picnic. That _should_ fly. Anyway, Jade, Lexi, and Junior, you guys get in my ship. Help yourself to the taffy. I just bought it from Mary's store." She ushered the teens off to the waiting airship and turned back to Hope, suddenly remembering something. "Hope! Be careful in these woods around here while you're riding Bobby Corwen! There are some mean mandragoras!"

Pulling a gyshal green from his jacket, Hope nodded to indicate he heard her warning. Keeping Kavi close, he called out to his chocobo. When Bobby Corwen arrived, Kavi greeted her with a hug. The chocobo nibbled the little gold bells that hung off the Black Mage's hat. While Hope readjusted the saddlepacks, Bobby Corwen plucked Kavi's hat from her head and made a game of keeping it away from the little Black Mage.

Hope reached up and casually retrieved the hat from the chocobo's beak. Despite Kavi being older by a few months, Hope had always considered her a little sister. Her shy, sweet demeanor had always made her seem more vulnerable than her sister Jovi. Kavi was the more curious and adventurous of the two, though, so Hope found himself looking out for her more from necessity than pure intention. She looked so much like a baby-faced version of his mother. That too could be a reason Hope felt so protective. Her two, long blond braids framed her cherubic face and darling smile. Neither Kavi nor Jovi showed any outward traits of the Mist monsters that some of the male black mages did. This led Hope to believe that perhaps his father had created them based on his mother's genetic information 

After securing her hat on her head, Kavi waited for Hope to mount Bobby Corwen. He settled himself in the saddle and then offered Kavi a hand up. When they were both situated, Hope reigned the chocobo toward the wooded areas to the north. As Bobby Corwen jaunted along, Kavi asked, "Hope, how did a Black Waltz get trapped in the Ice Cavern and survive?"

Hope had no immediate answer. Initially, he shook his head. Once Bobby Corwen had taken to the air, he said over his shoulder, "Perhaps Vivi had trapped him in the ice. I'm not sure how any of the Black Waltzes were defeated. According to what mother and the older Black Mages have told me, the Waltzes were all very powerful. Two and Three were exceptionally cunning, but when it came to raw, magical power Black Waltz 1 had several times the endurance of his younger brothers."

Kavi snuggled into Hope's back and spent the rest of the ride in quiet contemplation. They were very lucky to survive. Certainly they weren't as powerful as the legendary heroes that saved the entire world. Kavi shivered as she considered having to face a Black Waltz one on one. His will nearly overcoming hers was enough to make her feel helpless as it was, but her inability to properly utilize her elemental magic made Kavi downright terrified. She could be crushed so easily by a creature that powerful. What would become of the Black Mages then? Could Jovi produce enough children to secure the race's future? Kavi wasn't sure she herself could face such a responsibility either. Yet, her guardian, Mr. 288 had mentioned that the time would come soon when she would have to engage one of her brothers and and ? Well, she just wasn't sure what would happen or how she was to go about making baby Black Mages. Mikoto had assured her she would know, based on her instincts, what to do when the time came. When had the world suddenly trusted her with so much responsibility, she wondered. At least Hope was nearby for support. He'd pulled her out of more than one mess in their lifetime. She didn't want to take him for granted, but Hope always seemed to be there when she needed him.

* * *

Nearly half and hour ahead of Kavi and Hope, the other group landed outside Alexandria in Eiko's mini airship. While Eiko secured the sails, Alexia vaulted over the side of the ship and landed lightly on the ground. Jade landed beside her, but Marco took his time disembarking. Their conversation along the way had raised some concerns in his mind that he just didn't want to address. How could his father have failed to defeat the Black Waltz? Now that it was back, would his father's indiscretion come back to haunt him? Marco was worried about his mother's safety, too. Certainly the Black Waltz would remember her. Their mission was to find and retrieve Princess Garnet and bring her back to-

Eiko interrupted his contemplation by giving him a reassuring pat. "Hey, don't worry about it, Marco. There's nothing you could've done, right? Everyone gets scared."

"Huh? Oh-oh yeah. Well," with a sigh, Marco hopped down from the ship. "It doesn't change the fact that I just stood there and stared at it like an idiot."

Alexia was torn. Should she second Marco's opinion or reprimand him for just standing there? She knew he could fight- - granted, not as well as she could, but he was armed. The fact that he didn't act was what made her hesitate. She certainly didn't know what that creature was or how to fight it, but she was ready to attack it all the same. Marco just choked and it was embarrassing for her as his soldier and his protector. Still, Alexia remembered how she was in her first battles. Sometimes there was an uncertainty to be overcome. Is that what Marco had felt? All she could see in him now was his disappointment in himself. _Perhaps I should just leave him be for now_, she concluded.

Unlike Alexia, Jade was quick to try and raise his best friend's spirits. "Look, I was the one who provoked it in the first place. I bet he would've left us alone if I hadn't opened my big mouth."

"I'll agree with that," Alexia crossed her arms over her chest, considering Jade with a critical eye.

The remark stung more deeply that perhaps Alexia had intended, but Jade did his best to ignore it. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, don't blame yourself. The Black Waltz thing went away and we all survived. That's what counts, right?"

"I guess," Marco conceded. He felt like such a _failure_, though. Jade's words didn't do anything to lighten his heart, but Marco put on a fine front for his friend. The prince's smile is all Jade seemed to need to feel he'd helped.

"All right." Eiko climbed out of the airship and pulled off her goggles. "Hope and Kavi should be here in a few minutes. While we're waiting, let's get our story straight. Okay, Junior, I sent a letter to you via MogNet, okay? You invited Jade and Kavi along and Lexi- - well, you're not supposed to leave his side anyway, right? So, that leaves Hope, huh?" Eiko scratched the base of her horn thoughtfully. "I guess he was just visiting from the village when he spotted us from chocobo back."

"Or he came to check on Kavi," Marco suggested.

Eiko nodded. "That'll work too. I'll leave that up to Hope. He's pretty quick on his feet. So, after we get into the castle, we're going to find your dad, Lexi. Through him, we'll enlist the help of the Knights of Pluto. By Ramuh's beard I hope they don't mess this up"

Alexia was quick to jump to their defense, "They haven't bungled a mission in three years now! I'm pretty sure they can handle this." Then under her breath, she murmured, "Hopefully." From there Eiko and Marco discussed their options, but Alexia became distracted by the castle behind her. It rested in the distance quiet and serene in its elegance. The crystal spire glinted as the golden rays of sunlight passed through its flawless prism. She noted the sun would set soon. The sun had already taken on a slightly yellow cast in the west. The haze rising out of the valley made the mountains in the distance dark and indistinct. It was easy to imagine that Alexandria stood as the only city in the world. It was several times higher above sea level than Lindblum and the city at its base sprawled further as well. Everything in Lindblum seemed to be built upwards. Alexandrians feared building up would obstruct their view of the castle, so they were content to spread out.

Needless to say, Alexia considered Alexandria the better of the two cities. The air smelled so much more pure here and the waters were as clear as the crystal. Alexandrians were the richest people in culture and loyalty. Let Treno have all its money, what good did it do them when there city was only beautiful in the night? Lindblum had fiercely patriotic members too, but they seemed to rely too heavily on their gadgets and grandiose schemes. Burmecia? Well, since Cleyra was destroyed, the Burmecians really had no claim to any great city. As far as Alexia was concerned, Burmecia was just one big, muddy puddle. There were really no other cities or towns were mentioned in the world. Alexandria had her heart and it always would. After all, she was named after the city. Why would she want to be anywhere else?

"Le-e-e-e-xi," Jade called in a sing-song voice. "Gaia to Lex. Are you there, Lex?" When the young soldier turned, she seemed annoyed, but gave Jade her full attention in any case. "Like I was saying, do you have keys to the sub tunnels?"

"No. Why?" Alexia asked, suddenly very suspicious of the young rogue. 

"Because, if we need an escape route, that'd be the best way to go, right? Marco told me that the Queen was taken down there before and there are passages or something that lead all the way to Lindblum."

"There will be no need. I don't intend to run away from one Black Waltz. I especially don't need to escape to _Lindblum_!" Alexia seemed sorely insulted with Jade's alternative plan.

"And just what's wrong with Lindblum?" Eiko countered, sounding just as insulted.

Alexia straightened as if at attention. "Oh! Nothing your highness." She turned her head slightly, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It's just that, um"

"Lexi has a bad case of foot in mouth disease," Jade chuckled.

"Shut up, urchin!"

Jade turned to Alexia, fully affronted. "I'm not an urchin! My family isn't destitute you know?"

"Oooh, big word, Jade. Did you learn it from Marco?"

"It wouldn't hurt for you to be nice to me once in a while, Alexia! I'm not just some dumb commoner, you know!" Jade felt the tightness in his chest. How could Alexia say such things? Worse yet, how could she wound him so deeply? If he would've been called an urchin by anyone else, he could've shrugged it off. Alexia's words stung as they usually did. She had a way of hurting him so easily and this time it nearly drove him to tears. Thankfully, Marco stepped between them. This seemed to be the poor prince's role in life; keeping his two closest friends from fighting. It didn't seem healthy for any of them.

"Cease and desist! Both of you! This is no time to fight. I mean it." At Marco's words, Jade and Alexia took their respective corners, glaring daggers at each other. Eiko just shook her head and mumbled something about teenagers and hormones.

A triumphant 'Kweh!' from above signaled Hope's arrival. Eiko let the teenagers sort out their feelings while she turned and waited for the chocobo to arrive from the woods.  


  
  


* * *

  
**Author's Note**: Would you like to see some character portraits?   
Kavi  
http://www.ninja-monkey.com/images/original/kavi.jpg  
Jade  
http://www.ninja-monkey.com/cgi-bin/oekaki/data/OB000361.png  
Alexia  
http://www.ninja-monkey.com/cgi-bin/oekaki/data/OB000326.png  
Hope  
http://banditdance.com/oekaki/data/OB000118.png

And, well, I don't have anything good on Marco or Eiko just yet, but I may later. These URL's are subject to change or not work without notice. I'll try and keep them updated. :) If I come up with some better pictures, I'll be sure and post them here or on my site http://www.ninja-monkey.com. Thanks! 


	4. Alone

The following is a Final Fantasy 9 fanfiction by Kaiya Beck and The Pink Tonberry. Yay for legal stuff! Some of the characters in this fanficiton belong to Square Soft. Marco, Kavi, Hope, Jade, and other incidental support characters belong to the respective authors of this fanficiton. Please do not distribute this document without my express permission. 

The Pink Tonberry

mercybrand@hotmail.com

**  
After 'Happily Ever After'  
Alone **(by Kaiya Beck) 

  
Black Waltz One alighted on a ledge in the mountains and rested there, hunched over and trying desperately to get his breath back before anyone discovered him. As he regained his strength, he sent out a private message of help to his brothers. He and his brothers had a special psychic link to each other's minds. It was very useful, but it had considerable drawbacks, such as the fact that if one of them became hurt, the others felt the pain as well. One was brought back to the present as he realized that no one was answering his call. He tried again, more insistently. _Where are you?!_ he cried within his mind._ If you can hear me, answer! Please!_ He couldn't sense them. That was the most frightening of all. Through the short time they had been together, he was able to recognize the thoughts and psyche of his brothers. Two's mind was orange and warm, but showed a hint of the power that lay beneath his mellow exterior. Three's mind was bright yellow and bursting with energy. He had always been the most energetic of the three. But now... the fact that One couldn't sense any trace of their presence in his mind... it was almost more than he could bear. The feeling he had wasn't grief. The Black Waltzes did not feel grief. It was more like losing companions, as if a general had lost two of his finest soldiers in battle. It was a mere feeling of remorse, as well as surprise that his brothers actually _could_ be killed. One shook his head. He was driving himself crazy with this useless mind prattle. First thing was first. _Capture the princess... _One thought to himself. _That's your initial goal. Capture the princess and take her back to Kuja. Then... maybe then he'll be able to tell me what happened to my brothers._ He stroked his bell thoughtfully. His Sealion had been killed, but there were more that were ready to do his bidding. The summoning was only used as a last resort, however. "But if it does come down to it, you'll be ready, won't you, my pet?" One asked the bell. "Oh, yes, you'll be ready."

Garnet hummed a little to herself as she combed her hair. Though her voice had lost some of its purity as she aged, it was still very beautiful. She stopped for a while to examine her face in the mirror. She still looked young, younger than she would have imagined. There were some age lines on her face, but it seemed to accentuate her beauty more than detract from it, and despite two long-term pregnancies, her body still remained thin and lithe.

A sudden knock at the door shook her from her thoughts, and she glanced toward it. "Come in," she said softly. The chancellor, a sleek looking man with long dark hair and warm brown eyes, poked his head into the door. "Your Majesty," he said, "If you are finished with your preparations, we would like to begin the meeting." Garnet sighed. 

"Yes, Petran," she replied wearily. "Thank you." With a bow, the chancellor left, shutting the door behind him. Garnet put her head in her hands. Petran was a sly one, but she had to admit that he was a good chancellor. There was no doubt in her mind that he had his sights on marrying her, and not just for her beauty, but for what she represented. Marrying her would automatically put him next in line to the throne. It wasn't going to happen, however, she thought to herself. Her heart still belonged to that one special person. _Zidane..._ she thought sadly, _If only you could see how fast your little Marco is growing. He's just like you_. She vaguely wondered where Marco had gone. He'd said he was going to go exploring with Jade, and Gaia only knew what he'd meant by that. _All the same,_ Garnet thought,_ it's not as if I can keep him here against his will. He's a young bird who needs to be free of his cage once in a while._ She shook her head, laughed at herself. _Look at me,_ she said to a portrait of Zidane hanging above the fireplace. _I'm an old woman reciting poetic nonsense and pining for what might have been. Do you think it's time I grew up?_ The portrait grinned rakishly back at her and she smiled. "You're no help," she said laughingly. "Just make sure Marco comes back safe, all right?" As she turned back to her mirror, she could have sworn she saw the portrait just wink at her. Her heart gave a sudden lurch in her chest and she realized that despite his death, she was still very much in love with Zidane. "Oh, Zidane... Why did you have to leave me so soon? We were so happy together. I... I loved you so much..." As it had many days before, grief marched into her room, and she let it into her soul, nestling her head into her arms as she began to cry without noise.   



End file.
